Insurance data management system

ABSTRACT

A system and method for the capture, storage and usage of specific insurance underwriting and/or loss validation data includes a handheld mobile computer device containing one or more master forms in which insurance data is entered into the handheld device, normally at the location of the insured home along with an electronic signature of the insured and a geocode and time/date stamp. The data is uploaded to a secure, structured database. Insurance data can also be entered, in a secure manner, via a customer portal by the insured or from third party data sources. The system includes software with the ability to pre-populate standardized underwriting forms based on the collected data. The system also manages electronic insurance quotes and bind orders as well.

FIELD OF THE INVENTION

The invention pertains to a system and method for the capture, storageand utilization of specific data of value in the property and casualtyinsurance markets.

SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION

The invention pertains to insurance portfolio data management. Morespecifically, a system operating in accordance with invention enablesinsurance agents to collect, collaborate and analyze real-timestructured data received from the field through a handheld mobiledevice, through a customer website portal or software app, or from thirdparty data sources. The data can be accessed by insurance customers,underwriters and/or agents, and comprehensive electronic forms andreports are generated. For example, standardized underwriting forms,such as the Accord® form or other format desired by a particularunderwriter are generated by the information stored in the insuranceportfolio data management system. Underwriters provide trackableinsurance quotes in electronic form to the insurance portfolio datamanagement system which in turn generates a quote report that is sent inelectronic form to licensed insurance agents. The licensed insuranceagents complete the transaction and bind coverage for the insured, andthen transmit a trackable bind order to the insurance portfolio datamanagement system which in turn generates a trackable bind order that issent to the respective underwriter.

One of the primary features of the invention is to collect data in thefield via a handheld mobile computing device which includes globalpositioning technology, such as a computer tablet with the appropriatesoftware, or other handheld GPS enabled mobile input device. An employeefor an insurance company (or the system administrator) can enter data ina master form on the handheld device which desirably associates ageocode and a time/date stamp with the information. The onsite datacollection also optionally includes the ability to add photographs,video, scanned documents or voice messages as part of the geocoded andtime/date stamped record. The handheld mobile computing device alsodesirably includes a stylus and an electronic signature capability, andprovides the binding of contracts through the electronic signaturecapability. The stylus can also be used to superimpose handwritten notesover a static photo or scanned document. It is also desirable that thehandheld mobile computing device have the ability to scan barcodes. Thebarcode scanning feature is a particularly effective and efficient wayto enter vehicle identification information, and other information thatmake be encoded by bar code.

The insurance portfolio data management system can be used in a varietyof applications, but two preferred applications are noted. The firstpreferred application is to use the mobile tool in the field in order togather fundamental data for insurance procurement. Since fundamentaldata collection occurs in the field, the system improves convenience tothe customer and accuracy of the collected information. The secondpreferred application is to use the mobile tool when responding to aclaim of an insured loss. Again, the mobile device can be used toreliably and efficiently collect onsite information regarding thevalidation of a loss. The claims adjuster will then be better able tomake a more informed decision regarding coverage determinations.

In addition, the data collected can be integrated into existingdatabases and management systems. The system can thus be used as astand-alone system or as a supplement to an existing system. Commercialusers of the system can be clustered in a hierarchy that relates totheir commercial structure. The hierarchy allows managers andsupervisors to review the dashboard metrics of their direct reports, andcan be customized for each commercial subscriber.

Other features and objects of the invention will be apparent to thoseskilled in the art upon reviewing the following drawings and descriptionthereof.

BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS

FIG. 1 is a block diagram illustrating of an exemplary use of theinvention.

FIG. 2 is an example of well-known standardized insurance underwritingform, branded as the Accord® form.

FIGS. 3A-3E are exemplary screenshots for the handheld mobile unit foronsite collection of insurance information pertaining to customer intakeand home owner's insurance.

FIGS. 4A-4D are exemplary screenshots on the handheld mobile unitpertaining to the onsite collection of data pertaining to autoinsurance.

DETAILED DESCRIPTION

Referring to FIG. 1, an insurance portfolio data management system 10operating in accordance with the invention preferably receives uploadedinsurance data from several sources, and organizes the data in one ormore structured databases. The insurance portfolio data managementsystem 10 also interacts electronically with insurance underwriters 20and licensed insurance agents 26. The administrator or subscriber of theinsurance portfolio data management system 10 engages an insuranceconsumer 30 prior to entering data into the system 10. Data collectioncan occur in a number of ways. Block 12 labeled subscriber's handheldmobile computing unit is a handheld mobile computing device thatcollects data which is uploaded to the insurance portfolio datamanagement system 10, as indicated by the one-way arrow between themobile unit 12 and system 10 in FIG. 1. The system 10 contains one ormore structured databases that can be separated in order to segregatedata collected for various subscribers. Typical subscribers would be aninsurance agent or a claims adjustor service or a third partyrepresentative. On the other hand, the system 10 can be implemented as asingle database for a single system administrator such as an insuranceagency or a claims adjustor, etc. . . .

The handheld mobile computing device 12 can be a laptop, tablet orsmartphone including global positioning technology with appropriatesoftware, or can be another type of handheld GPS enabled mobilecomputing device. The preferred device 12 is a tablet having a stylus.As mentioned above, an employee for the insurance company, or theadministrator or some other individual, enters data into one or moremaster forms on the handheld device 12, which also preferably associatesa geocode and a time and date stamp with the information. It is alsopreferred that the handheld mobile computing device 12 have the abilityto take photographs and video, and record voice messages as part of therecord and also geocode and time and date stamp the photographs, videoand voice messages as well. Further, it is desirable that the handheldmobile computing device 12 include electronic signature capability toallow the binding of contracts on site with the stylus. Further, it maybe desirable to include a document scanner that can communicate with thehandheld mobile computing device 12 on site. The stylus can be used tomake electronic notes on geocoded/time and date stamped photographs orscanned documents. In addition, as mentioned above, it is desirable thehandheld computing device include a bar code scanning feature. Thetechnical implementation of collecting the data in the field anduploading the geocoded and time/date stamped data to the insuranceportfolio data management system 10 is preferably similar to thetechnical implementation described in U.S. Pat. No. 7,266,558, entitled“Method and Apparatus for Global Relief Management”, which issued onSep. 4, 2007 and is hereby incorporated by reference. The mobilehandheld computing device would normally include cellular and WiFicommunication to upload the data.

FIGS. 3A-3E are representative data input screens for the handheldmobile computing device 12 for the onsite collection of insurance datapertaining to home owner's insurance. FIG. 3A is a representativecustomer “intake” page and includes a number of fields pertaining to theidentity of the homeowner and the location of the home. FIG. 3B is thefirst screen on the “home” page and includes fields pertaining to homeconstruction parameters and the usage of the property. FIG. 3C is asecond screen of the “home” page including fields pertaining to generalinformation regarding the residence such as whether business isconducted on premise, if there are any employees at the residence, etc.FIG. 3C also prompts the user to indicate whether any natural hazardsare present and illustrates a pop-up menu displayed on the screenprompting specifically whether flooding, brush fire, forest fire,landslide or none of these hazards are present. The screen also showsother fields that are typically pertinent such as whether the dwellingis for sale, whether the home is within 300 feet of a non-residentialproperty, or whether there is a trampoline on premise. FIG. 3Dillustrates another screen on the “home” page having fields promptingfor additional information such as other insurance with this company,whether coverage has been declined or canceled in the past three years,whether the applicant has been subject to foreclosure, repossession orbankruptcy in the last five years, indicted or convicted for a crime,whether insurance has been transferred within the agency, or whetherapplicant owns any recreational vehicles. Note that the instructions forfilling out the fields can be quite specific with respect to variousstate laws. FIG. 3E is an example of the signature screen for the “home”page illustrating the electronic signature capability of the system. Theelectronic signature capability allows the home owner to easily verifythat the information that is collected onsite is accurate as of the dateof data collection. FIGS. 4A-4D show an alternative set of screensincluding fields and questions pertinent to auto insurance. The softwarecan also include a help function if desired. One of the mostadvantageous aspects of the invention is the ability to collectaccurate, verifiable data onsite in the presence of the home owner usingthe handheld computing device 12. The use of the handheld mobilecomputing device 12 onsite during data collection should increase salesefficiency because it brings the sales cycle to the consumer.

If a claims adjuster were to subscribe and use the system, the adjustercould access policy data on the system pertaining to the insurancecustomer with the alleged loss, and would also use the handheld mobilecomputing device 12 to collect onsite data verify the loss.

Referring again to FIG. 1, data can also be uploaded to the insuranceportfolio data management system 10 via a secure (password protected)customer portal 14, preferably in the form of a website or a customerapp for a smart phone or tablet. The double-sided arrow between thecustomer portal 14 and the insurance portfolio data management system 10in FIG. 1 indicates that data can be uploaded from the customer portal14 to the system 10, and conversely can be downloaded from the system 10to the customer. The customer portal 14 would normally be used by acustomer in order to enter or supplement data into prompted fields, butis also desirable to allow the insurance consumer 30 to review datapertinent to their property or automobiles that is stored in the one ormore structured databases within the insurance portfolio data managementsystem 10. For example, the insured may wish to download photographs,video or documents pertaining to their property or insurance. The datacollection center within the insurance portfolio data management system10 is secured and protected. For example, it is highly preferred thatthe customer portal have a secured website and consumer app, and thatdata submitted by the insurance consumer through the customer portal 14be securely transmitted to the collection center which itself is securedand protected.

Data can also be uploaded to the insurance portfolio data managementsystem 10 from third party data sources as illustrated by block 16 inFIG. 1. Example of third party data sources include credit scores,automobile history, tax assessment values, or ISD data which includesother insurance related information.

Once the necessary data is collected, either from the master forms onthe handheld computing device 12 (e.g. FIGS. 3A-3E and 4A-4D), thecustomer portal 14 or from third party sources 16, the insuranceportfolio data management system 10 organizes the data in the structureddatabase, and then pre-populates one or more standardized underwritingforms 18 which are electronically sent to various underwriters 20. Thesepre-populated forms 18 contain critical underwriting data. FIG. 2 is anexample of a standardized underwriting form, page 1 of 6, bearing theAccord® trademark. The Accord® form is widely used throughout theinsurance industry and the insurance portfolio data management system 10preferably has the ability to pre-populate such forms. It is desired,however that the system 10 also be able to populate a variety of otherstandardized underwriting forms inasmuch as the various underwriters mayhave different requirements. The system 10 may be configured with theability to automatically send the electronic, pre-populated underwritingforms 18 to the respective underwriters 20, or alternatively thepre-populated underwriting forms may be stored on a computer system andsent by email to the various underwriters.

In addition to the standardized underwriting forms 18, the system iscapable of providing supplemental underwriting data, e.g. photographscollected by the handheld mobile computing device 12. In this way, datacollected from the handheld unit 12 or the customer portal 14 or thethird party data sources 16 that is more comprehensive than the data onthe typical standardized underwriting forms is efficiently provided tothe underwriters.

Each underwriter 20 provides a trackable insurance quote 22 that isunique to the individual consumer risk profile (as compiled through theprocess). The administrator of the insurance portfolio data managementsystem 10 (e.g., normally a certified licensed insurance agent 26subscribing to the system 10) then integrates the quotes 22 into astandard electronic format (a quote report 24), and provides an analysisand recommendation to the insurance consumer 30 regarding coverage. Thelicensed insurance agent 26 binds coverage for the insured 30, seereference numbers 28-30. Upon review and approval by the insured 30,arrangements to bind coverage 28 are completed by the insured 30 and thecertified agent 26, and a trackable bind order 32 is electronicallytransmitted to the insurance portfolio data management system 10. Thetrackable bind order 32A is also electronically transmitted from thesystem 10 to the respective underwriter 20, see reference number 32A inFIG. 1 to complete the process.

The administrator of the system 10, with the permission of the insured30, retains the underlying data and it is available to the insured 30via the secured web based portal 14. The consumer/insured 30 is able toreview, update and supplement their data electronically via the customerportal 14 as time passes. The subscribers of the system 10 are also ableto access the data integrated into existing databases pertaining totheir business. Managers and supervisors can review this data anddashboard metrics customized for their business.

The insurance agent (or insurance broker) is able, if desired, toautomatically reinitiate the process of marketing insurance to thecustomers in the database on a periodic basis, such as every threeyears, generally in the same manner as discussed above.Consumers/insured 30 can opt in to electronic communications from theadministrator regarding weather advisories, risk management protocols,and product/service offerings that may reduce their risk profile,mitigate any future loss, and positively impact their annual premiums.The system 10 should also improve operational efficiency and simplifythe work process in other ways as well, such as reducing overhead.

In the foregoing description, certain terms have been used for brevity,clearness, and understanding. No unnecessary limitations are to beinferred therefrom beyond the requirement of the prior art because suchterms are used for descriptive purposes and are intended to be broadlyconstrued. The different configurations, systems, and method stepsdescribed herein may be used alone or in combination with otherconfigurations, systems and method steps. It is to be expected thatvarious equivalents, alternatives and modifications are possible withinthe scope of the appended claims.

What is claimed is:
 1. A method comprising the steps of: a) providing aninsurance portfolio data management system comprising a structureddatabase containing property and casualty insurance data for insurancecustomers, the insurance portfolio data management system configured toelectronically communicate with a handheld mobile computing device, athird party data source, and a multiplicity of underwriter computers,each of the multiplicity of underwriter computers associated with anunderwriting form having a particular standardized underwriting datarequirement; b) providing said handheld mobile computing devicecomprising a display providing a user interface, a global positioningdevice that creates geocodes and time and date stamps corresponding to alocation of the handheld mobile computing device and one or more masterforms displayable on the display of the handheld mobile computing devicefor entering property and casualty insurance underwriting data in avariety of prompted fields, said master forms prompting the entry ofdata comprehensive of particular standardized data requirements formultiple underwriters; c) entering identification indicia of a licensedinsurance agent into said handheld mobile computing device, therebyverifying the presence of the licensed insurance agent or assistant; d)downloading third party data from the third party source to pre-populateat least some of the prompted fields in the one or more master forms; e)entering data through the user interface into prompted fields on the oneor more master forms on the display of said handheld mobile computingdevice; f) entering an electronic customer signature through the displayof the handheld mobile computing device after steps d) and e) to verifythe downloaded data from said third party data source and data enteredthrough the user interface into prompted fields on the one or moremaster forms on the display of said handheld mobile computing device; g)associating a geocode and time and date stamp created by said globalpositioning device of the handheld mobile computing device with theentry of said electronic signature and the downloaded data from saidthird party data source and data entered through the user interface intoprompted fields on the one or more master forms on the display of saidhandheld mobile computing device to create a signature verified,geocoded and time and date stamped record of underwriting data; h)associating said identification indicia of said licensed insurance agententered into said handheld mobile computing device with the signatureverified, geocoded and time and date stamped record of underwritingdata; i) after step h), uploading the signature verified, geocoded andtime and date stamped record of underwriting data with theidentification of the licensed insurance agent associated therewith forthe respective customer to the insurance portfolio data managementsystem; j) automatically creating with the insurance portfolio datamanagement system one or more underwriter specific standardized fileshaving a particularized format with said particular standardized datarequirements for a particular underwriter associated with at least oneof the multiplicity of underwriter computers from some or all of thesignature verified, geocoded and time and date stamped record ofunderwriting data, with the identification of the licensed insuranceagent associated therewith; k) electronically transmitting from theinsurance portfolio data management system at least one of theunderwriter specific standardized files to at least one of themultiplicity of underwriter computers associated with the underwriterhaving the same particular standardized underwriting data requirement asthe electronically transmitted underwriter specific standardized file;l) receiving an electronic request from at least one of the multiplicityof underwriter computers for supplemental underwriting data for therespective customer on the handheld mobile computing device; m) enteringsupplemental underwriting data through the interface of the handheldmobile computing device to supplement the signature verified, geocodedand time and date stamped record of underwriting data for the respectivecustomer, n) associating a geocode and time and date stamp created bysaid global positioning device of the handheld mobile computing devicewith the entered supplemental underwriting data; o) uploading from saidhandheld mobile computing device the geocoded and time and date stampedsupplemental underwriting data to the insurance portfolio datamanagement system as part of the respective record of underwriting data,and p) providing from the insurance portfolio data management system thegeocoded and time and data stamped supplemental underwriting data to theat least one of the multiplicity of underwriter computers from which theelectronic request for supplemental underwriting data was received. 2.The method in claim 1 further comprising, after step 1), the steps of:q) receiving electronically at least one quote on the at least onehandheld mobile computing device that is unique to an individualconsumer risk profile for the respective client; r) entering anelectronic signature through the display of the handheld mobilecomputing device after step p) to bind coverage in accordance with oneof the at least one quotes; and s) electronically transmitting the bindorder to the structured database and the respective underwritercomputer.
 3. The method in claim 2 wherein at least some of supplementalunderwriting data is entered using a video recorder, a bar code readeror document scanner on or connected to the handheld mobile computingdevice.
 4. The method in claim 2, the supplemental underwriting dataincludes a voice message recorded with the handheld mobile computingdevice.
 5. The method in claim 1 wherein electronic signatures areentered using a stylus connected to the handheld mobile computingdevice.
 6. The method in claim 1 wherein the underwriting data includesa photograph taken with the handheld mobile computing device.
 7. Themethod in claim 1 wherein the supplemental underwriting data includes aphotograph taken with the handheld mobile computing device.
 8. Themethod in claim 1 wherein at least some of underwriting data is enteredusing a video recorder, a bar code reader or document scanner on orconnected to the handheld mobile computing device.
 9. The method inclaim 1 wherein multiple underwriter specific standardized files areelectronically transmitted to multiple respective underwriter computers.10. The method in claim 1, the underwriting data includes a voicemessage recorded with the handheld mobile computing device.